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When the folks at Travel Wisconsin asked me to write about my favorite area of Wisconsin, I had a very tough time narrowing it down. I'm a Badger State native. Never lived anywhere else, and proud of it.

So should I pick the Northwoods, where my family has gone camping with the sweet smell of pine in the air? Maybe it's Door County, where we've explored the rocky coastline and lighthouses. How about the La Crosse area, where I went to college, with the bluffs and little towns along the Mississippi River? Then I realized… my favorite spot in Wisconsin is right where I live.

I was born and raised in Oconomowoc, in southeastern Wisconsin. You can drive east to a Brewers game or a theatre performance in Milwaukee… or west to a Badgers game in Madison… and get there in 45 minutes. But the big draw here is the clean, refreshing water. At least two dozen lakes dot the area. I was lucky enough to grow up on one of them… where I learned to swim, water ski, fish and sail. My wife and I taught our three children to enjoy -- and respect -- the natural beauty of their surroundings.

I could go on and on. Just visit the charming towns of 'Lake Country' -- like Oconomowoc, Delafield, Hartland or Pewaukee -- and you'll see what I mean.

Mike Miller co-anchored the weekend evening newscasts on WISN 12 and provided special reports for the weeknight newscasts and local programming specials. As a broadcast journalist for 32 years, he earned numerous awards from the Associated Press, the United Press International and the Milwaukee Press Club.